Want some ideas on free things to do in Lubbock, Texas?
Maybe you’re trying to save money for other things to do, or you’re just on a budget in general and don’t want to splash the cash.
Whatever the reason, there are plenty of things to do for free in Lubbock, including museums, art galleries, parks, and memorials.
This is the ultimate list to the best things to do in Lubbock for cheap!
GET A FREE TEXAS GUIDEBOOK WITH LOCAL TIPS!
With 71 pages of helpful travel tips and the “best of” Texas lists, this is your ad-free key to your Texas trip.
Want more things to do in Lubbock? Check out these expert guides!
- 21 Incredible Things to Do in Lubbock, Texas
- 19 Original Things to Do in Lubbock, Texas at Night
- 17 Things to Do in Lubbock, Texas with Kids
- 7 Festive Things to Do in Lubbock at Christmas
- 11 Original Date Ideas in Lubbock
- 17 Incredible Outdoor Things to Do in Lubbock, Texas
Okay, everyone grab your favorite Lubbock wall print and let’s go!
1. Visit Mae Simmons Park
Whether you just want to walk around a park or you are a fan of disc golf, Mae Simmons Park is the place to go!
This free park is a wonderful area to get some exercise as it starts the Mae Simmons Outer Loop hiking trail, and is also home to a fantastic 9 hole disc golf course (just bring your own frisbee).
Unlike other, more manicured parks, this park has a lot of the wild feeling of nature unleashed, and you’ll experience it as more of an untamed park that really shows off the best of authentic Lubbock.
Bring a picnic to have a cheap lunch, or enjoy people-watching around the fishing lake.
2. Explore the Lubbock Cultural District
You don’t need to spend any money to walk around the Lubbock Cultural District.
This area is about 1 square mile and is a hub for arts and entertainment.
You’ll often find community events and free festivals taking place in Lubbock here, as well as some fantastic attractions like the Buddy Holly Center.
Just get to know the city by walking around this area and seeing what you can uncover.
3. Experience the National Ranching Heritage Center
There’s a completely free museum at Texas Tech that is a must-do free thing in Lubbock.
The museum celebrates ranching and its history (it has a huge history in Lubbock!) with plenty of authentic ranch buildings.
Explore the windmills, walk through historic barns, and get up close and personal to the history.
This isn’t a museum with boring plaques, but an outdoor museum in the sunshine!
While the museum is free, if you do have a bit of extra cash, they accept donations, as it’s the largest historic museum west of Williamsburg.
Plan to spend about an hour here with the whole family. Kids will love it as they can run around and roam!
4. Admire the Texas Tech Public Art Collection
Visit Texas Tech to see their stunning displays of public art that are scattered across campus.
Each one has a unique story and background that relates to the university or local areas, and there are a myriad of different styles on offer, from the modern to the more classic.
This is also a fantastic thing to do over and over in Lubbock, as the art is changed out and added regularly so you can always find something new.
Support the university and the local art community for free by taking a self-guided walking tour of the art.
5. Visit the Museum of Texas Tech University
Another free museum in Lubbock is the Museum of Texas Tech University, a wonderful museum that helps explain the history of Lubbock and of what life was like on the Plains.
Check out the ice age exhibit to learn more about the way back history of Lubbock and to see what used to roam the plains (hint: mammoths and saber-toothed tigers may have been here!)
There are also fascinating galleries of Native American pottery in the Gallery of the Southwest Indian Art, as well as Western art in the Diamond gallery.
6. Take a picnic to McCullough Park
Pack a picnic and enjoy a free day out in Lubbock at McCullough Park.
It’s got plenty of green space, picnic tables, and areas to sit down and enjoy people-watching and soaking in those Texas sunshine rays while you catch up with family and friends and just enjoy your day.
7. See the prairie dogs at Prairie Dog Town
Head over to Prairie Dog Town, an area in the free Mackenzie Park, where you can see the group of adorable prairie dogs, whose family have lived in the area since the 1930s.
They’re super cute, readily happy to eat any carrots or lettuce you bring them, and are a fun hour or so of entertainment that’s unique to Lubbock.
Bring the kids for free to see an animal they might not have ever seen before, and enjoy this interesting thing to do!
8. First Friday Art Trail
The first Friday of every month, Lubbock holds a cultural event that lets you wander through galleries, museums, and other cultural businesses absolutely free.
It’s an event that celebrates culture, art, and music in Lubbock and you’ll meet wonderful people and get a glimpse into some awesome cultural venues, all for free.
9. Take pictures with the Buddy Holly Statue
Buddy Holly was an iconic Lubbock resident, and the Buddy Holly Statue is a fantastic place to get pictures of the birthplace of Rock n’Roll in Lubbock.
Spend some time reading the names on the “Walk of Fame,” as well, as it tells you the important icons in music and entertainment that came from Lubbock.
It’s a great place for photos and some Instagram snapshots to impress your friends and family back home.
10. Pay your respects at the Lubbock Veterans Memorial
If you want to pay your respect to fallen heroes, head to the Lubbock Veterans Memorial.
It’s a beautiful area, part of Huenke Park, that’s surrounded by green spaces and ponds and was built to commemorate South Plains heroes.
It’s a largest memorial, one of the largest outside of Washington DC, and on each brick you can read the name of veterans in the Armed Forces.
It’s been around since 2003, and has been a peaceful place ever since for Americans and visitors to pay their respect for what these veterans did for the United States of America.
11. Walk around McAlister Park
If you have kids, McAlister Park has to be on your list of things to do for free in Lubbock.
This park is one of the best in Lubbock and continually improving, so you might just encounter even more than you bargained for, completely for free!
12. Eastlawn Memorial Gardens
Buddy Holly is buried in Eastlawn Memorial Gardens, a Lubbock cemetery that is free to enter.
There are also some other famous Lubbock names buried here, and while it won’t take up too much of your day, it’s a very peaceful place to spend a few quiet moments paying your respect and wandering among the grounds.
13. Louise Hopkins Underwood Center for the Arts
Love art?
Head straight to the Louise Hopkins Underwood Center for the Arts.
Not only is it completely free, but you can see a wide range of artistic styles including drawings, sculptures, and paintings.
They also have event space for performances, as well as regular events.
Visit the art galleries to look at some local art and visit as often as you can to support Lubbock’s art scene and the downtown area.
14. Visit the Lubbock Memorial Arboretum
If you’re outdoor lovers, there’s nothing better to do in Lubbock for free than the Lubbock Memorial Arboretum.
With over 90 acres to explore, this can be a full day out in Lubbock if you want it to be, or stop by for an hour or so to walk along the paths lined with trees, flowers, native plants, and a variety of wildlife.
A one mile trail makes it easy to get some steps in as well, and the arboretum is actually within a larger park, K.N. Clapp Park.
Stroll hand-in-hand through the Heritage Rose Garden when the roses are in bloom (don’t forget to smell them!) and make sure you spend some time in the Sensory Garden where you can experience the beauty of nature with all of your senses.
15. Take the dog to Clapp Park
With a fantastic dog park and lots more, Clapp Park is a great free thing to do in Lubbock for you and your furry (and non-furry) friends.
Here, you’ll find the Lubbock Swimming Pool, as well as lots of benches for a lunchtime sit-down, as well as the Lubbock Memorial Arboretum which makes for a fantastic afternoon spent wandering the trails and gardens.
You’ll usually find sports happening on the fields, but you can also just walk around and soak in the atmosphere and let the kids use the playground.
16. Go swimming at Maxey Park
Got the need to cool off on a hot Texas day?
Look no further than Maxey Park!
It has an awesome swimming pool that you can use, as well as a big lake (just for looking at, though!)
Lakeside tables give you a nice place to have a snack, and a playground means that even the toddlers and elementary aged children will love their time here.
17. Stop by the iconic Mackenzie Park
Home to the previously mentioned Prairie Dog Park earlier in this guide, Mackenzie Park is a free giant park with over 200 acres and definitely the best park in Lubbock.
Here, interact with nature as you wander along the creek that leads to a lake, or embrace some family-fun at the amusement park which features carnival style rides.
Bring your own picnic and a blanket or sit on one of the benches as you watch the world go by.
It’s also not just a park, but an outdoor event area so if you’re visiting in the warm months, you’ll definitely find live music and other community events here.
18. Discover the local neighborhoods at Earl Crow Park
If you want to get away from the crowds, head to Earl Crow Park which is s small park in Lubbock in a nice neighborhood.
It’s got a small playground, more suitable for the younger children, as well as some picnic tables to watch them from.
There’s also a fishing lake with ducks, which makes for a nice environment and a solid couple of hours being outdoors in Lubbock.
19. Get your steps in at Buddy Holly Recreation Area
Whether you want to walk around the 2 mile route around the lake or you want to play some pick-up basketball the Buddy Holly Recreation Area in Lubbock is for you.
It’s absolutely beautiful, and you can get your steps in with the walking paths or enjoy the outdoor workout center.
If you prefer to stay a bit more stationary, the picnic areas let you relax with your ice cream and do some people-watching.
Fishermen will love the fishing lake, and if you really want to time it right, visit at sunset and sunrise when the colors are out-of-this-world incredible.
20. Play on the playground at Rodgers Park
Right next to Rawls Golf Course is Rodgers Park, where you’ll find a great playground for the kids featuring swingsets, climbing structures, and a soft ground in case they get a bit too adventurous.
There’s also a small pool that kids will love, as well as space to gather with friends and hold birthday parties (some great trees for pinatas!)
21. Feed the Ducks at OW Ribble Park
Bring some duck food along (did you know you actually shouldn’t feed ducks bread?) to this park where you can feed them while they float around the lake.
This is a wide open park with lots of grass and a playground with a swing, so if you’ve got a lot of energy, this is the place to burn it off (parents, we’re looking at you and your little ones).
Have a family get-together at one of the barbecue areas so you can really embrace what it means to be Texan, or get involved in the sports happening at the sports stadium including volleyball.